tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44545431367835111902017-08-30T05:45:34.355-07:00Story PhilosophyPicture book based philosophical discussionsE. Duthienoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-37171174710979454612015-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:002017-08-30T00:37:04.834-07:00Oliver Sacks: A Lesson on Meaning<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I don't normally use this blog for anything other than picture-book based philosophical discussions. This entry, on the occasion of the death of Oliver Sacks, is an exception. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9BGW-y6BffE/VeMqcHOvSjI/AAAAAAAAFYE/BEMpkIByYDw/s1600/oliver-sacks.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9BGW-y6BffE/VeMqcHOvSjI/AAAAAAAAFYE/BEMpkIByYDw/s320/oliver-sacks.png" width="320" /></a></div>Today, six months after his beautiful, invigorating <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/oliver-sacks-on-learning-he-has-terminal-cancer.html?_r=0">piece in the NYT</a> announcing his terminal illness, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/science/oliver-sacks-dies-at-82-neurologist-and-author-explored-the-brains-quirks.html">Oliver Sacks has died</a>.<br /><br />I've read most of Sacks's published work and I have to say I have found few people as contagious in their enthusiasm as he was. He was so fascinated that he was fascinating.<br /><br />This summer I read <i>On the Move. A Life.</i>&nbsp;Some people are inspiring by speaking about what they do and why they do it, rather by trying to tell others what to do. Oliver Sacks was one of them.<br /><br />I love his talent for inspiring curiosity and inquiring passion through narrative. Isn't that what education should be about? Not only about inspiring children but about inspiring them to inspire others; making them aware that their own curiosity and passion has the power to spark it in fellow students, seniors and juniors and giving them the tools and opportunity to narrate their curiosity and passion in ways that do just that.<br /><br />I love Sacks' way of constructing connections and celebrating tangential, tentative, sometimes seemingly lunatic connections. The fun of connecting one idea with another idea, one's experience with one's ideas and the ideas or experiences of others. The thrill of discovering or inventing connections.<br /><br />Whenever I read anything by Sacks, I find myself desperately needing to get my hands on every single book he mentions, including books about things I know absolutely nothing about and had never even thought about before. And constantly asking myself how much more meaning one could pack into a single life.<br /><br />Back in February, in his piece for the New York Times where he announced he only had a few months left to live, Sacks said: 'I have to live in the richest, deepest, most productive way I can<span style="color: grey; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">'.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="color: grey; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;"><br /></span></span>But unlike many who learn of their imminent death, this wasn't a resolution to change, but a hope for continuity. Oliver Sacks exemplified the meaning of life and then exited beautifully. Happily, rather a lot of that meaning remains in his work.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br /><br />Text by Ellen Duthie. Copy or reproduce it, but please be nice and quote your source!E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-15021733067320122772013-01-03T03:13:00.000-08:002013-01-03T06:54:45.892-08:00The Story of Ferdinand: animal rights, violence, conformity and obedience to authority<i>The Story of Ferdinand</i>, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson<br />Original edition: &nbsp;The Viking Press, 1936<br />A more recent edition: Puffin Books, 2011<br />There is also a famous <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGTVRbpAuRo">Disney short</a> of the story.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rtJtrQMtLGo/UOVBJO4efEI/AAAAAAAACxU/cLLFMq-GYkY/s1600/the-story-of-ferdinand-book-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rtJtrQMtLGo/UOVBJO4efEI/AAAAAAAACxU/cLLFMq-GYkY/s400/the-story-of-ferdinand-book-cover.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;"><br /></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">This text is an adapted reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Ferdinand">module&nbsp;</a>written by Madeleine Lifsey</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i><br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;"><br /></i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #444444;">The Story</span></b></span><br /><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The Story of Ferdinand</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">&nbsp;tells of a young, peaceful bull, who lives in a pasture with his mother and a large group of other young bulls. All the other bulls like to run and buck all day long, but he prefers to sit under his favourite tree and smell the flowers. When five scary men come to take the meanest bulls away, Ferdinand stays calm and content, assuming the men will not choose him. Suddenly, a bee stings Ferdinand. Startled, he loses control, bucking and fussing more than anyone else! Assuming that he is a very fierce bull, the men take Ferdinand away against his will, and they force him into the fighting ring. However, they become very angry when they find he refuses to fight…</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><b>The Philosophy in the Story</b></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Our society puts a lot of emphasis on teaching children to make “ethical choices,” but it would be difficult for any of us to determine a clear set of criteria that makes an action “right” or “wrong” each time.&nbsp;</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The Story of Ferdinand</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">&nbsp;is an example of a young protagonist who grows up very comfortable in his own skin and with his own decisions, but is soon confronted with difficult situations that challenge his peaceful way of life. Young children can use Ferdinand’s story to confront their own questions about ethical dilemmas. Each question set deals with the larger issue of how we make choices in our interactions with others, but this question can be broken up into more specific topics. Looking at how the men interact with Ferdinand can spark a discussion on Animal Rights. The next three topics deal with Ferdinand’s choices, rather than the men’s. Ferdinand’s passivity informs a discussion on Violence. Considering why Ferdinand does not follow the other bulls’ example of rough play leads to a discussion on Conformity. Finally, examining why Ferdinand does not follow the men’s orders leads to a discussion on Obeying Authority.</span><br /><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Animal Rights</u><br />The first question set deals specifically with interactions between species. Our society teaches us that humans have the right to use non-human animals for our own purposes as we see fit. Most humans view themselves as somehow “higher” or more important than all other animals, but they have a difficult time justifying why they feel this way. Does this concept need to be re-examined? Most students will agree that Ferdinand should not have been taken away and hurt, but they may disagree about whether or not his species makes a difference, and if so, why. If Ferdinand were a human, there would be little debate that the abuse he suffers is a crime. However, many reason that species membership is an arbitrary distinction that should not be the basis for how one is treated, no more than should race, gender, ethnicity, and so on. Illustrating this stand<span style="font-family: inherit;">point, philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the founder of modern utilitarianism, maintained that the question is not “‘Can they reason?,’ nor ‘Can they talk,’ but ‘Can they suffer?’” Contemporary philosopher Peter Singer agrees that while species membership is not a distinguishing moral characteristic, sentience – that is, self-awareness and ability to suffer – is. We know that non-humans suffer acutely, both physically and mentally – for instance, mother cows will bellow hysterically when their calves are taken away from them, showing clear signs of distress long afterwards. If we agree that taking Ferdinand from his mother and his home and hurting him for our entertainment is wrong, then we must ask ourselves whether it is ever okay to exploit animals – for our entertainment, for our clothing, for our cosmetic products, for our food, or for anything else - and if so, how we decide when and why it is okay.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oixs3JB5oB8/UOVdbHYwKAI/AAAAAAAACxk/F67zjgmtFj8/s1600/ferdinand-the-bull+smelling+flowers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oixs3JB5oB8/UOVdbHYwKAI/AAAAAAAACxk/F67zjgmtFj8/s400/ferdinand-the-bull+smelling+flowers.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></u></i></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about animal rights</span></u></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ferdinand wants to stay with his mother and sit quietly under his favourite tree, but the five men come and take him away to hurt him and make him fight.</i><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"></span><br /><ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><li>How do you think the men were able to make Ferdinand come with them even though he did not want to? Were they right to do this? Why or why not?</li><li>Does being&nbsp;<i>able</i>&nbsp;to do something mean you&nbsp;<i>should</i>&nbsp;do it? Why or why not?</li><li>If not, what is something you could do but should not do? Why?</li><li>Are animals here for our entertainment?</li><li>Do we have a responsibility to respect and/or to protect animals?</li><li>What is more important: What Ferdinand wants to do, or what the fighting men want him to do? Why?</li><li>If Ferdinand were a human being, would your answer be different? Why or why not?</li><li>If someone hurt a person who has the same skin color as you, would you be more upset than if someone hurt someone who was very different from you? Would it matter if they were shorter, taller, younger, or older than you? Why or why not?</li><li>Which would make you more upset, someone hurting a close friend of yours, or someone hurting a stranger? Why?</li><li>Why do some kinds of differences seem to matter when we decide how we treat each other, while other differences do not?</li></span></ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"></span><br /><div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">When the men come, Ferdinand is calm because he assumes they will not choose him, but when a bee stings him and he bucks, the men take him away.</span></i></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"></span><br /><ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><li>Why do the men believe that Ferdinand is fierce?</li><li>Can we know what someone is thinking or feeling just by watching his/her behavior? Do you ever think you can tell what your pets are thinking? If so, how? If not, why not?</li><li>Do the men ask how Ferdinand feels? Should they?</li></span></ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"></span><br /><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Violence</u></span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The second question set deals with violence in general, which should certainly be considered regarding interactions between humans and non-humans, but also among humans themselves. Children are taught from an early age “don’t fight,” but it is sometimes difficult to tell what this means. What about in self-defense? In considering Ferdinand’s reaction to the violent men who want to “stick” him with pins and spears, students can debate ways to respond when someone else initiates a fight. Some argue that once someone has been provoked, any kind of violence can be justified if committed in self-defense. Others maintain that violence is never acceptable. For instance, many advocate&nbsp;</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">ahimsa</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, or “no harm,” a Sanskrit term that is the foundation of many Eastern philosophies. A subscriber to&nbsp;</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">ahimsa</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, like Mahatma Gandhi, a peace activist and celebrated pioneer of passive resistance, would maintain that a nonviolent response is always more appropriate. While we teach the general mantra, “don’t fight,” television, video games, and other forms of entertainment tend to portray a violent lifestyle as the norm and as something to admire and emulate. Sometimes some forms of “fighting” can be healthy forms of play, like when children wrestle together. However, does this mean that there is something wrong with not enjoying rough play or violent video games? Parents and educators have been disputing through the ages whether violent play and entertainment is healthy or not; here is a chance for children to add their voices to the debate.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kuqDp0GBNcE/UOVl3NcMhVI/AAAAAAAACyM/wjenvBZsKBw/s1600/ferdinand+jumpin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kuqDp0GBNcE/UOVl3NcMhVI/AAAAAAAACyM/wjenvBZsKBw/s400/ferdinand+jumpin.JPG" width="337" /></a></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><u><span style="color: #38761d;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about violence</span></u></i></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Everyone in the story except for Ferdinand and his mother enjoy fighting.</span></i></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><li>Why didn’t Ferdinand enjoy fighting?</li><li>Do you think certain types of fighting can be fun? When and how? Why or why not?</li><li>Is fighting ever the right thing to do? Is it ever the wrong thing to do? When? How do you know?</li><li>Is it ever okay not to fight back when someone wants to fight with you? Why or why not?</li><li>What should you do if you don’t want to fight, but someone tries to start a fight with you?</li><li>Do the answers to questions #2-#5 depend on whom you are fighting?</li><li>Does it matter if the one you are fighting is weaker or stronger than you?</li><li>Can a fight ever be fair? What makes it fair or unfair? Explain.</li></span></ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">A big crowd comes to watch the men fight with Ferdinand.</span></i></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><li>Have you ever had fun watching someone else fight? (hockey, wrestling, kickboxing – bullfighting!) What makes it fun?</li><li>Is it still fun to watch if someone gets really hurt? Why or why not?</li><li>Is there such a thing as a “good fight?” What makes it “good?” (entertaining, fair, difficult for both sides, safe?)</li><li>Do you think the men’s fight with Ferdinand would have been safe for both sides? Why or why not?</li><li>Is there a way to fight but make sure that no one gets hurt? How is this type of “safer” fighting different from other kinds of fights?</li><li>Do you do martial arts? (Karate, Taekwondo, etc.)</li><li>Is that a different kind of fighting than the kind of fighting in the book? (self-defense, everyone there is choosing to engage in the fight)</li><li>Are there rules in our school/community about different kinds of fighting?</li><li>Do these rules protect you? How?</li><li>Would you ever want to change those rules? If so, what do you think should be the rules about how, why, when, where, and whom we fight? Explain.</li><li>Should everyone have to follow the same rules about fighting? Why or why not?</li></span></ol><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><u>Conformity</u></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Children, especially males, often grow up socialized to believe that they should be “tough,” and this can manifest itself in a number of assumptions about how we should behave. Amidst a cohort of young bulls who like to beat each other up all day long, Ferdinand is the lone, sensitive bull who prefers to smell the flowers. At first, when Ferdinand’s mother sees all the other young bulls playing a certain way and sees Ferdinand behaving differently, she worries that something is wrong, but when she understands that he is happy, she relaxes. Ferdinand’s mother ultimately decides that it is okay for Ferdinand to be different, but her initial concerns reflect the underlying ethical question of whether there is something inherently good or bad about conforming to social norms. Some argue that social norms originate outside the self and thus should not govern how the individual behaves, while others maintain that social norms serve an important role in regulating our behavior to best serve the interests of society.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Students will often decide that it is completely okay for two different groups (or a group and one “outlier”) to enjoy different things, but some may argue that it is important for peers all to behave the same way in certain situations. The discussion on conformity can focus specifically on peer pressure and bullying, which is especially appropriate in a school context and can be combined with the discussion on violence (see above). If everyone else around you is doing something, can you assume that it is okay? When phrased this way, it may seem that the answer is clearly “no.” However, given specific situations, our answers may become more complex. After all, we model our behavior on those around us, and so it can be difficult to determine when to follow and when to protest. One interesting activity would be to go around the circle and have each student think of a time in which they felt different from everyone around them. Most likely, everyone has felt this way at some point, and there will be those who feel this way most of the time. We could structure an entire session on the nature of “feeling different” and the ethical issues it raises.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FchuBnb6azU/UOVmYLyYDlI/AAAAAAAACyU/Z8qEmHySSkg/s1600/ferdinand+all+afraid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FchuBnb6azU/UOVmYLyYDlI/AAAAAAAACyU/Z8qEmHySSkg/s640/ferdinand+all+afraid.jpg" width="473" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u>Prompts for philosophical discussion regarding conformity</u>&nbsp;</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">All of the other bulls with whom Ferdinand grew up like to run and fight, but Ferdinand wants to live peacefully.</span></i></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"></span><br /><ol><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><li>What do you think the other bulls thought of Ferdinand?</li><li>Have you ever wanted to do something different than what all your friends wanted to do? How did you handle it?</li><li>If you did what you wanted to do instead of what your friends wanted to do, did they make fun of you? Did you or your friends end up changing your mind?</li><li>Have you ever felt different from everyone around you? What was that like?</li><li>Is being different sometimes a good thing, a bad thing, or neither? Why do you think so?</li><li>Why do you think people get upset so often when one person acts differently from everyone else?</li><li>Can it be threatening to see someone behave or think differently than you do? Why?</li><li>If a new student joined your classroom and every one of your classmates started bullying him or her, would you join in? Why or why not? Would you try to stop it? Why or why not?</li><li>If enough people decide something is right, does that make it right? If enough people decide something is wrong, does that make it wrong?</li></span></ol><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Obedience to Authority</u></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the elementary level, children are just starting to grapple with the question of whether their caregivers are always right or have all the answers (and quickly learning that the answer may be a resounding no!) However, just because our caregivers are not always right does not mean that they are not generally excellent role models. How do we know when to listen to someone and whom to trust? Children may suggest many different criteria. For example, we trust people who we have seen do good things in the past, people who have more education that we do, people who are older than us, and so on. None of these suggestions is right or wrong; the important thing is that students can take it a step further to articulate why. Ferdinand’s story offers a springboard to discuss how we know whom to obey. The scary men tell him he must fight, but he disagrees. Was he right to do so, and why?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oWV4quKQNs8/UOVnPavbKOI/AAAAAAAACyc/smhTsJsKf-k/s1600/five+men.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oWV4quKQNs8/UOVnPavbKOI/AAAAAAAACyc/smhTsJsKf-k/s640/five+men.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u><br /></u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u>Prompt for philosophical discussion regarding Obedience to Authority</u></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Banderilleros, the Picadores, and the Matador are angry because Ferdinand will not obey them and fight.</span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><ol style="color: #38761d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><li>Should Ferdinand have listened to the men and fought them?</li><li>Why did Ferdinand decide not to fight?</li><li>What are some ways we try to decide whether something is right or wrong?</li><li>If an adult you trust tells you to steal something, but you think that stealing is wrong, would you do it anyway?</li><li>Are adults always right?</li><li>Do we trust certain adults [caregivers? educators?] more than others? Why or why not?</li></ol><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">This text is an adapted reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Ferdinand">module&nbsp;</a>written by Madeleine Lifsey</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of all the illustrations in this post, Robert Lawson, 1936</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This text is available under&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported</a></div></div><br /><br />E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-33883918474842019572012-07-09T08:54:00.000-07:002013-01-03T00:26:42.679-08:00Shrek!: aesthetic judgements, the relationship between desire and beauty and why we love what we love<i>Shrek!&nbsp;</i>by William Steig<br />Original edition:&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white;">Farrar, Strauss and Giroux 1990.&nbsp;</span><br />Our edition: Square Fish, 2007<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxVqV9_wSMI/T_rrbAt9XXI/AAAAAAAACWE/2aKh_TM--bk/s1600/Shrek+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxVqV9_wSMI/T_rrbAt9XXI/AAAAAAAACWE/2aKh_TM--bk/s400/Shrek+cover.jpg" width="337" /></a></div><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">This text is an adapted reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Shrek">module&nbsp;</a>written by Hilary Pollan edited by Jayme Johnson for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i><br /><br /><b>The Story</b><br />Shrek is an ogre who lives in a swampy home. One day Shrek's parents tell him to leave the swamp to go see the world and do some damage. Soon after Shrek leaves he meets a Witch who gives him a fortune to go wed a princess. After receiving his fortune, Shrek sets off on a journey to find the princess. Along the way he meets a pheasant carrying peasants, fights a whopper of a dragon, has bad dreams about happy little children, meets a jabbering donkey, fights a fearless knight, and gets lost in a hall of mirrors filled with ugly Shreks. Shrek is not phased by the fact that his ugliness overwhelms everyone he meets. In fact, he loves being so repulsive! When Shrek finally meets his stunningly ugly princess they instantly fall in love, get married, and live horribly ever after.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The Philosophy in the Story&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Shrek lives in a world where he perceives what is typically considered ugly by the general population to be in fact beautiful. &nbsp;As philosophers, we must ask questions about <b>how we define objects as beautiful and ugly</b>. Philosophers refer to judgments of beauty and ugliness as aesthetic judgments, for which two main arguments exist: 1) that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and thus a matter of personal taste or preference, or 2) that there is a set of standards or principles that make something beautiful. &nbsp;The second argument also believes that all people with good taste will have positive responses to an object of beauty, or in other words that there is a universal acceptance of what is beautiful. When considering what makes Shrek ugly, for example, the first argument would say that Shrek is ugly because he does not appeal to the characters he meets on his journey. &nbsp;The second argument, however, would say that Shrek is ugly because he objectively lacks any degree of the property of being beautiful. In other words, on the second view, Shrek is considered ugly because, objectively speaking, he ''is''.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><u><span style="color: #38761d;">Defining Ugliness:</span></u></i></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Shrek’s mother was ugly and his father was ugly, but Shrek was uglier than the two of them put together</span></span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">(look at a picture of Shrek) What makes Shrek ugly?</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How does Shrek feel about his ugliness? &nbsp;Does he like or it or dislike it?</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How do other characters in the book feel about Shrek?&nbsp;</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How can people think different things are ugly?&nbsp;</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What about a beauty contest? How do the judges choose the most beautiful?</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7YsmliB8EiE/T_r27aW5ZEI/AAAAAAAACWk/_M1N2mbMAjI/s1600/Shrek+mirrorsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="339" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7YsmliB8EiE/T_r27aW5ZEI/AAAAAAAACWk/_M1N2mbMAjI/s640/Shrek+mirrorsm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Shrek not only looks ugly, but he also seems to do ugly things, things that to most people seem dirty, fraudulent, and dangerous. Nevertheless, Shrek is still a desirable character. So even though, for example, we feel appalled at Shrek's narcissistic delight in discovering that the “hundreds of hideous creatures” he sees in the hall of mirrors are all images of himself, we nevertheless find ourselves rooting for Shrek. We want him to succeed, and find happiness. As philosophers we might ask questions about the connection between beauty and desire. Typically we associate good with beautiful and bad with ugly. Usually people desire what is good, and thus people desire to see beautiful things. Some philosopher’s, however, argue that that we don’t in fact need desire to see things as beautiful. What this means is that we can desire things concerning beauty, but it’s not intrinsic to the pleasure of beauty and the universal acceptance of beauty. This is not to say though that beauty cannot produce desire. What is interesting in Shrek's case is that he does see his ugliness as beauty. This not only brings the debate back around to the question of whether beauty is subjective or objective, it also makes provides an example of the connection between desire and beauty. Shrek desires to be horrible, because for him, horribleness is beautiful. &nbsp;</span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><u>Looking Ugly and Being Ugly:&nbsp;</u></i></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #38761d;">Some things that Shrek does, like taking down the dragon and the knight, might be considered mean.</span><br /><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What does Shrek do that is mean?&nbsp;</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What does Shrek do that is nice?</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Would you call &nbsp;Shrek more or less ugly based on his actions?&nbsp;</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Why do we call things ugly? Do we only call things ugly if we don’t like them?</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What is it that we don’t like about someone that makes us think they are ugly? Is it just looks/appearance, or do other things play a role?&nbsp;</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white;">Can you think things/people are beautiful even if they do mean things?</span><span style="background-color: white;">&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are people more beautiful when they only do nice things?&nbsp;</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mfy2N8-5YCo/T_r3JE7slTI/AAAAAAAACWs/zxt9I3Q-TL8/s1600/Shrek+more+images.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mfy2N8-5YCo/T_r3JE7slTI/AAAAAAAACWs/zxt9I3Q-TL8/s320/Shrek+more+images.png" width="300" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;">This intermingling of the subjective understanding of beauty and the connection between beauty and desire is again raised in Shrek's love for the ugly princess. &nbsp; As philosophers we ask if he’s falling in love with her because he has a positive response to her physical beauty. Does he thinks she is beautiful? Or, does he love her because she is like him? Philosophers have said that to love someone is to identify ourselves with him/her. Furthermore, loving someone is when we make a decision to dedicate ourselves to their values. As philosophers we question the nature of Shrek and the princess’s love, and the nature of love in general.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><br /><u style="color: #38761d;"><i>Love and Ugliness:</i></u><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;">Shrek falls in love with the princess because she is stunningly ugly.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><ul><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;">Can you like things that are ugly?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;">Can you love someone who has warts or is hairy like the princess?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;">Do people love other people/things only because of the way they look?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;">Do we only love people who are like us? &nbsp;</span></li></ul></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">There are two other important things to stress before teaching this book. Firstly, this book is the basis for a popular movie and while the book and movie share similar plots, their content is rather different. This book module is for the BOOK not for the movie. &nbsp;The second important thing to note is that this book contains some difficult vocabulary. These words include: repulsive, warts, to get hitched, scything, rabid, noggin, peasant and knight. It’d be best to make sure children understand these words before reading the story.</span><br /><br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">This text is an adapted reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Shrek">module&nbsp;</a>written by Hilary Pollan edited by Jayme Johnson, and translated by myself for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div>(c) of all the illustrations in this post, Wiliam Steig, 1990. &nbsp;</div><div>This text is available under&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported</a></div><br />E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-69042311338238316782012-07-09T06:35:00.000-07:002012-07-09T06:45:39.827-07:00Harold and the Purple Crayon: Deciphering Reality<i>Harold and the Purple Crayon </i>by Crockett Johnson<br />Harper, 1955<br />Our edition: HarperCollins, 2005<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-84eXjocdIeQ/T_qYfWiTpGI/AAAAAAAACVU/wXkFZlVXjxY/s1600/harold50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-84eXjocdIeQ/T_qYfWiTpGI/AAAAAAAACVU/wXkFZlVXjxY/s400/harold50.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><i style="color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">This text is an adapted reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Harold_and_the_Purple_Crayon">module&nbsp;</a>written by Jayme Johnson and Claire Bartholome, and translated by myself for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: white;">The story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Harold thinks it over for some time before deciding to go for a walk in the moonlight.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">This may seem unremarkable, but it is not. There is no moon. There is nothing to walk on. There is nowhere to go.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white;">The only things that are real are Harold and the purple crayon. So he decides to get drawing. &nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Philosophy in the Story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">The overarching theme of Harold and the Purple Crayon is deciphering </span><b>reality</b><span style="background-color: white;">. As an oddly ambiguous and usually assumed idea, the discussion of “reality” will throw the children into a fun and active topsy-turvy discussion of what it means to be real, and how one gives objects the power of reality. In a world represented by a blank page, Harold is free to draw his surroundings with his big purple crayon. Is Harold making-believe? Is that different from what is real? The questions in this set revolve around the children’s perception of reality. &nbsp;Harold interacts with his drawings in a very “real” way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bg-PlDA4LIw/T_rdBktZSUI/AAAAAAAACVg/ATaIlOYRp2U/s1600/harold+and+the+purple+crayon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bg-PlDA4LIw/T_rdBktZSUI/AAAAAAAACVg/ATaIlOYRp2U/s320/harold+and+the+purple+crayon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="background-color: white;"><u>What makes something real real?</u>&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first question in this set addresses a secondary character that follows Harold throughout the story: the moon. The idea of the moon as a constant in the night sky is one children tend to agree with. What complicates this situation however is the fact that when the moon is absent in Harold’s world, he draws it with his purple crayon above him in the “sky”. This is left the children to question the validity or reality of Harold’s world. If Harold can draw a moon in the sky, it seems that he could not possibly be existing in the “real” world. And furthermore, he must simply be pretending because, as the children may point out, no one could draw a “real” moon in the sky. Or could they? What makes the moon we observe any more “real” than Harold’s moon?&nbsp;</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Question set 1. When Harold notices the moon is missing from his walk, he uses his purple crayon to draw a moon in the sky.</span></i><br /><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is the moon that Harold draws the same as the moon we can see in the sky at night?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Which moon is the "real" moon?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What makes it "real"?</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><u>Does fear of something make that something real?&nbsp;</u></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">The second and third question sets revolve around Harold’s <b>experience</b>. As the questions in the second set indicate, Harold seems to be in danger during part of the story, he may even be afraid of the objects he draws. For some of the children this may indicate a level of reality that is not at first apparent. To have feelings either sensory or emotional about an object indicates that the object holds some form of power over its observer. This power is translated to designate a level of “reality” as compared to the surrounding world.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Then the task is outlining the differences or definitions that make something real. These qualities in Harold’s drawings further blur the line between what is presumably the “real” world outside of the story. When Harold falls from the hill that he climbs, and when he stumbles into the ocean he has drawn, it seems as though his life is seriously in danger. This fear is a form of power Harold has passively given to his drawings.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xlk8AWGyAWo/T_rdTsoLCHI/AAAAAAAACVo/Uxxtv07Q4UI/s1600/harolds-purple-crayon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xlk8AWGyAWo/T_rdTsoLCHI/AAAAAAAACVo/Uxxtv07Q4UI/s1600/harolds-purple-crayon.png" /></a><span style="background-color: white;">On the other hand, one may ask if that gives the ocean or the rock the physical reality to harm Harold. Physical reality and the scientific properties therein sometimes indicate a kind of absolute reality that is independent of Harold. The children can then begin to question the idea that if an observer were not around, objects would still exist. Physical properties seem to give objects a sense of absolute reality. However, most people will never see a tree at a purely molecular level, they will see a tree as brown and green, using subjective measurements within each individual. The kids will then be able to draw their own connections about whether believing in something, or fearing it, gives it reality for the observer and thus an absolute reality independent of the observer.&nbsp;</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Question set 2. When Harold falls into the "ocean" that he draws, do you think his life is in danger, do you think he could drown?</span></i></span><br /><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you think Harold is afraid of the ocean?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Does his fear make the drawing more "real"?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do emotions and beliefs make things real?</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><i><u>Are dreams real?</u></i>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">In the third question set, the conclusions from the second set can again be reevaluated. Although the emotions or physical danger Harold may feel could be classified as “real”, where do they exist? &nbsp;In this stage, the children can begin to question the idea that Harold could be dreaming this entire world that he depicts. &nbsp;If Harold is dreaming all of this, it seems easier to swallow, we as an audience can attribute these “fantasies” to something we know and also experience. &nbsp;However, the next step in the debate is a discussion of the reality of dreams. Are dreams “real” in the way we have previously defined the term (see question set 1)? The children may choose then to reevaluate their definition of “real”.&nbsp;</span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">The boat seems to save Harold from drowning. &nbsp;Do you think that what is happening to Harold is real?</span></i></span><br /><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are the things happening to Harold in his mind or somewhere else?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Could it be that everything happening to Harold is a dream?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are dreams real?</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><u style="background-color: white;"><i>Can you make an accident happen?</i></u><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the fourth question set, we begin to discuss the idea of Harold as a character in these drawings. If these are Harold’s drawings and they belong to him, could accidents happen within them? In this way the students will continue to discuss and stretch the reality of Harold’s world. The role of ownership in the story is undefined in the story and in the lives of the children themselves. Do people have control over the events that occur in their lives, are they purely accidental, or can they be attributed to another force? &nbsp;The students can describe Harold’s accidents and relate them to their own in a connection that will help them to understand the concept universally.&nbsp;</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">When Harold steps over the edge of the mountain, he begins to fall through the air. &nbsp;Do you think that it was an accident?</span></i><br /><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Did Harold know that was going to happen to him?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Can there be accidents in Harold's world even if he's drawing them?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Can you make an accident happen?</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">As seen in the fifth question set, Harold also is subject to being lost in his own drawing, lost in the world he created. He travels for a long and perilous journey to find his bedroom window and when he finally does, it is questionable whether he even needed to walk through the cities of windows to find his own at all. If this crayon gives Harold the power to create his bedroom anywhere then it is curious why he is so intent on searching for his “real” window. Being so submerged in one’s own creations gives them the ultimate sense of power and reality because at this point of the story as Harold frantically searches for his window, there is the sense that Harold cannot escape the world he has created even if he would want to. The idea of transcending reality seems like it would generally be too “heavy” for children to understand, but through Harold’s story, it becomes possible that we are all existing in a world we have created and cannot escape from. This leads the children to question the world “outside” of Harold’s world. They can compare themselves with Harold and thus apply his story to their own existence.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tkiU_E6-vWE/T_rd26AiOpI/AAAAAAAACVw/hVxsjTkzTvI/s1600/harold+drawing+buildings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tkiU_E6-vWE/T_rd26AiOpI/AAAAAAAACVw/hVxsjTkzTvI/s320/harold+drawing+buildings.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;<i><span style="color: #38761d;">If Harold is drawing his own world, why does it take him so long to find his window?</span></i></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you think Harold could get lost in the world he is drawing?&nbsp;</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Could he be imagining that he is lost?&nbsp;</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What does it mean to be lost?</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">&nbsp;</span></li></ul></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In a kind of climax of the question sets, the children are forced to address an event common to their own lives and understand the role of reality in it. All the children are likely to relate to Harold’s nine-pie picnic. &nbsp;However, in the illustration and description of the book, it is glaringly obvious that Harold is drawing the pies in one moment and then has supposedly eaten them in another. This picnic is reminiscent of a make-believe tea party that you throw for you and your stuff animals to enjoy. In this case it is a hungry moose and a deserving porcupine that interact with Harold. For the children who may have previously defined Harold as un-realistic, this is an example intended to make them define their positions. What is going on in this story? &nbsp;Is it make-believe, a dream, reality, or something else? Encouraging the students to back up their beliefs with reasons and evidence will help them to formulate and understand this verbal debate oriented dialogue.</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Harold draws himself a picnic with nine different pies.</i>&nbsp;</span></span><br /><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Have you ever had an imaginary tea party or an imaginary picnic?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is that what Harold is doing in the story? &nbsp;Is he making-believe?&nbsp;</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Or could the events "really" be happening to him?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What's the difference between "make-believe" and "real"?</span></span></li></ul></blockquote><i style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; text-align: justify;">This text is an adapted reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Harold_and_the_Purple_Crayon">module&nbsp;</a>written by Jayme Johnson and Claire Bartholome, and translated by myself for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div>(c) of all the illustrations in this post, Crocket Johnson, 1955. Copyright renewed 1983 by Ruth Krauss.&nbsp;</div><div>This text is available under&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported</a></div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-2915424915918650372012-05-06T08:41:00.003-07:002012-05-06T08:53:56.511-07:00Frederick: Community, Work and Poetry<i style="text-align: justify;">Frederick</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, by Leo Lionni, 1967</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Random House</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;">This text is a reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Frederick">module</a>&nbsp;written by Nicole Giambalvo, translated by myself and revised by Mariana Zárate for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f4RO2UC5VRE/T6aUlgbPAmI/AAAAAAAAB80/GEnW3w5Ufv4/s1600/Frederick+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f4RO2UC5VRE/T6aUlgbPAmI/AAAAAAAAB80/GEnW3w5Ufv4/s400/Frederick+cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><b>The story</b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Winter is near and all the field mice are busy preparing and gathering food for the cold months ahead - all except for Frederick. Always the daydreamer, Frederick is preparing a small surprise that will warm the hearts and feed the spirits of his fellow mice when they need it most.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b style="text-align: justify;">The philosophy in the story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The story Frederick raises philosophical questions regarding the nature of community, the value of work and the nature of poetry (and art in general). &nbsp;</span></div><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ud6lvZdAK7E/T6aZ-iAQeeI/AAAAAAAAB9A/6WxDSkLAIpQ/s1600/Frederick_community.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ud6lvZdAK7E/T6aZ-iAQeeI/AAAAAAAAB9A/6WxDSkLAIpQ/s1600/Frederick_community.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="line-height: 19px;"><u>The Nature of Community</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Nature of Community and the social philosophy that governs community is the first issue we shall address. Frederick's story appears to be sympathetic to Collectivism, a term that describes any moral, political or social outlook that stresses human interdependence and the importance of a collective, rather than the importance of separate individuals. Early socialist and communist philosophers inspired Collectivists, like Hegel and Marx. Collectivists are concerned with community and society and seek to give priority to group goals over individual goals. They believe that a type of “social contract” exists in which the terms of this contract are decided by the “general will” of the people. In the story, Frederick contributed to the mouse community in a different way than the other mice. Yet, did he violate the social contract by not also helping to gather food?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Questions for philosophical discussion regarding the nature of community:&nbsp;</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"I am gathering words. For the winter days are long and many, and we'll run out of things to say ."</span></i></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">What makes a community?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Try to think of some communities you are a part of. How do you know they are communities?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Your school is a community and everybody contributes something to it. The mice have a community, too, and everyone is contributing something. What and how do the mice contribute?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Does everybody have to do his or her part in a community?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">What does Frederick contribute?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Frederick is a part of the mouse community. Does Frederick deserve to get some of the food even though he didn’t gather any of it?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Do you think it’s fair that he gets some of the food? Why or why not?</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2WBlS9Xsh5M/T6abCqyxvzI/AAAAAAAAB9I/Rqy0mNIY_ls/s1600/Frederick_work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2WBlS9Xsh5M/T6abCqyxvzI/AAAAAAAAB9I/Rqy0mNIY_ls/s1600/Frederick_work.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>The Nature and Value of Work</u></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Frederick</i> also poses questions about the Nature of Work. There are many arguments about what actions are considered to be work, and it is not clear-cut in our society what is considered work and what isn't. In the story, Frederick does not physically work, but still makes a contribution to the mouse family. Is Frederick working?&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Karl Marx's Labor theory of value suggests that the labor one does is only equal to its value in society. Use-value determines the value of goods produced. Marx would view Frederick's contribution as not socially necessary or not valuable or as valuable as the other mice's contribution, since they contributed to the survival of the whole family. If they had not run out of food, Frederick's poetry may not have had any use-value.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the otherhand, one might argue that Frederick's contribution was necessary. Perhaps poetry is unique and only valued for as much as one is willing to pay. If Frederick were a famous poet, would his poetry be more valuable? Again, the focus on community and the roles of people in their community are addressed. Part of Marx's socialist theory stated that everyone would have to do some work in order to reap the benefits. Is it fair that Frederick gets to eat the food?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Questions for philosophical discussion regarding the nature of work:&nbsp;</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d;">“I do work,” said Frederick. “I gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days.”</span></i>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do you think Frederick is working?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">When do you feel like you’re working?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">If you like something is it still work?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do you think going to school is work?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Is your favorite subject work? What about your least favorite subject?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Does work have to be hard? Why or why not?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What is the difference between work and play? Give an example of something you do that you think is work and something you think is play.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do you have to be paid for working? Why or why not?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Some people play professional sports and they get paid, are they working?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do only adults work?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Does work have to be physical? Why or why not?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What can or can’t be work?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Is thinking work?</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Questions for philosophical discussion regarding the value of work:</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"What about your supplies, Frederick?"</i></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">What makes a type of work important?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">Do you think Frederick’s work was worth as much as the other mice’s work? Why or why not?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">If something is not important or not as important does that mean it’s not work?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">Can they both be equally important, but in different ways? What are the differences?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">What would have happened to the mice if Frederick hadn’t written poetry?</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EjbWALeIwXU/T6abPkcbGqI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/rlit6hHE5xI/s1600/Frederick_poetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EjbWALeIwXU/T6abPkcbGqI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/rlit6hHE5xI/s1600/Frederick_poetry.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><i><u>The Nature and Value of Poetry (and Art)</u></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The social importance of art and the role of the artist in society are other topics addressed in the story. What was Frederick's role? Many poets debate these questions among themselves. Some focus on how much or why a poet is paid to write as essential to knowing the social function of poetry. Others say the content of poetry reflects its specific utility, or that the way a poem makes us feel and connects us to other human beings serves as its social function. Still others argue that poetry's social function is to just be, that one can take what she wants from poetry. Thus, the importance of poetry, or any type of art, in our society is not clear. Frederick's contribution of poetry to the mouse family was useful, but many would argue that food and shelter are more important than art in regards to the family's survival.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Questions for philosophical discussion regarding the nature and value of poetry:</span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">"But Frederick," they said, "you are a poet!"</span></i></div><ul><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you like poetry? How about Frederick’s poem? Why or why not?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Why do people write poetry?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is being a poet a job? Why or why not?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is poetry work or play? Why?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do people need poetry? Is it important? Why or why not?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Was having poetry as important as having food for the mice? What about for people? Why or why not?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Why is it important for people to have art such as paintings, poetry, and music?</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;">This text is a reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Frederick">module</a>&nbsp;written by Nicole Giambalvo, translated by myself and revised by Mariana Zárate for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>(c) of all the illustrations in this post, Leo Lionni, 1967</div><div>This text is available under&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported</a></div></div></div></div><br /></div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-62834217243784856862012-05-06T02:08:00.001-07:002012-05-06T06:34:35.732-07:00The Big Box: Rules and Freedom<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Big Box, by Toni Morrison and Giselle Potter</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hyperion Books, 1999</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;">This text is a reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Big_Box">module</a>&nbsp;written by Taryn Hargrove, Mary Cowhey and Thomas Wartenberg, and translated by Mariana Zárate and revised by myself for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i></div><i style="color: #e69138; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-ZUpd2gFqI/T6ZEkIx0o_I/AAAAAAAAB8o/DpQUqxu3osU/s1600/Bigbox_cover_314pixels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-ZUpd2gFqI/T6ZEkIx0o_I/AAAAAAAAB8o/DpQUqxu3osU/s1600/Bigbox_cover_314pixels.jpg" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b><br /><b>The story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Because they do not abide by the rules written by the adults around them, three children are judged unable to handle their fredom and forced to live in a box with three locks on the door.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><b>The philosophy in the story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Big Box is about three very energetic children "who just can't handle their freedom". To make these children abide by the rules, the grown-ups create a world inside a box, a world with toys and games, treats and gifts, and all kinds of stuff they think kids need to be happy and carefree. They are three locks on the door, which opens only one way.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x6oRC5vxPQ4/T6YlfBQ1-3I/AAAAAAAAB8c/kZ1dg9paGYs/s1600/La+gran+caja+Toni+morrison+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x6oRC5vxPQ4/T6YlfBQ1-3I/AAAAAAAAB8c/kZ1dg9paGYs/s320/La+gran+caja+Toni+morrison+image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Life inside the box</b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The first set of questions is designed to elicit discussion regarding the life in the box.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life in the box, depending on how you look at it, may be a happy place for the children. The children can be who they are and have no one judge or punish them. They are free to do what they want in that confined area. On the other hand the box could be an unhappy place for the children. The children are given everything that adults assume would make the children happy. Are the children happy with all the clothes, toys, and candy? What makes us happy? There is a conflict between happiness and what people perceive happiness to be? Some children consider happiness to be freedom of speech and freedom to do what they what. Other children may be happy with materialistic things.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The questions make us think about what truly makes us happy. If you were put into the box, what would you choose to put in the box with you? Why do the children stay in the box? Some may say they are scared to go out and face the rest of the world. Others may say that they are happy in their own little world.</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #38761d;">Questions to prompt philosophical discussion about life in the box</i><br /><br /><ul><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What is a one-way door?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Does our classroom open two ways or one?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What are the locks for?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What's good about life in the box?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do kids need toys, snacks, and cool clothes?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">If they have cool toys, clothes, snacks and other stuff in the box, why aren't they happy?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What would we need to give you that would make you happy to live in the box?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Why do they stay in the box?</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The meaning of rules</i></b><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The second set of questions explores the meaning of rules. These questions allow us to evaluate whether rules are important in our communities. What would happen if our society did not have rules? Rules are important for structure, organization, and safety in society. Do the rules we have make our communities perfect? Even though we have rules we still have the freedom to make our own decisions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #38761d;">Questions to prompt philosophical discussion about the meaning of rules</i><br /><br /><ul><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Do we need rules in our homes, classroom, school, and community? Why?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Who makes the rules?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Who has to follow them?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What if there were no rules?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Would you like to go to a school with no rules?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What would be good about it? What might be bad about it?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What are some good rules that you like at home or at school?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What rules did the kids follow?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Did anyone even notice what they did right?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What are appropriate consequences for breaking rules?</span></li></ul></div><span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The concept of freedom</i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Freedom is the last topic of discussion. We are absolutely sure that there are at least some cases where we make decisions, and that in making them we are free and hence responsible for these decisions. We cannot imagine what it would be like to live in a community in which there is no such thing as responsibility. On the other hand, does freedom actually exist? With a lack of resources are we still free to do what you wish to do? Freedom appears to be impossible in a world where everything runs its ordinary course and no irregularities happen. But why is that so?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><i></i><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Questions to prompt philosophical discussion about the concept of freedom</span></i><br /><br /><ul><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What does that line mean, when the adults say to the kids, "You simple can't handle your freedom."?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What if parents decided that their two year old could handle her freedom and just let their baby go free? What would happen?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What if the parents decided you could completely handle your freedom and just told you to go free? What would happen?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">When you are 18 years old, do you think you will be ready to "go free"?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">When you are free, do you still have to follow some rules?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Why do people call the United States of America a free country if there are rules here?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">If a two year old is not able to handle freedom, what would make someone older ready to handle freedom?</span></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">What does the older person know or have that the two year old doesn't?</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;">This text is a reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Big_Box">module</a>&nbsp;written by Taryn Hargrove, Mary Cowhey and Thomas Wartenberg, and translated by Mariana Zárate and revised by myself for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of all the illustrations in this post, Giselle Potter, 1999</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This text is available under&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported</a></div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-82693996248401065722012-03-27T06:09:00.001-07:002012-03-27T06:10:21.150-07:00Press Here: causality and the paradox of fiction<div style="text-align: left;"><i>Press Here</i>, by Hervé Tullet</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chronicle Books, 2011</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUE9yp66l6g/T3GL0pTu-PI/AAAAAAAABz8/o5O4OQzYB2U/s1600/press-here_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUE9yp66l6g/T3GL0pTu-PI/AAAAAAAABz8/o5O4OQzYB2U/s320/press-here_cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The book</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Press Here </i>by Hervé Tullet is one of the most innovative, clever and sophisticated children's books published in recent years. Books can't get more interactive than this, yet it has absolutely no gimmicks, sounds or batteries in it. Pure paper. And imagination. Lots.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It starts off with a blank page and a yellow dot in the middle of it and invites you to "press here and turn the page". And the magic starts. On the next page, there are two yellow dots, and we are invited to press again and turn. The next page shows three dots. Here we are invited to rub one of them gently and turn the page, to discover we've made it go red. Over the next pages we are invited to tap a dot and turn the page (to discover our taps have generated a tower of dots), to shake the book and turn the page (to discover we've made all the dots move about the page), to press down hard on all the yellow dots (to discover on the following page we've made the light go off and it's all black), to blow hard "to get rid of the black", to clap and make the dots grow, and grow and grow, until we eventually end up with a white background and yellow dot again and are invited to do it all over again. Sheer genius. And a great little techno-generation joke. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The publisher's own book trailer is probably the best way to explain what it is and what it does!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kj81KC-Gm64?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The philosophy in the book</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Press Here </i>touches on two main philosophically interesting issues, namely,&nbsp;causality and&nbsp;the paradox of fiction.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two thematic blocks of questions to prompt debate among children follow, with a very brief and general, non-specialised and name-free background introduction to each of them for teachers / parents / grandparents / anyone out there interested.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>The paradox of fiction</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The paradox of fiction refers to people being "moved" (normally emotionally) by fictional characters, events or situations despite knowing that they are fictional and not real. How can we explain that we feel sad for a character in a book even though we know that they do not really exist? Or that we feel frightened by a monster in a film, despite knowing that no such monster exists? Or, in the case of&nbsp;<i>Press Here</i>, that we reach out and press, or blow, or clap, despite knowing that we are not really making anything happen when we do so?&nbsp; </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Philosophers of art have tried to explain this paradox in different ways. Some have suggested that, with fiction (at least with good fiction), we enter a special state whereby we willingly suspend disbelief and -at least momentarily- embrace it as "real".&nbsp;Others suggest that it's not entirely accurate to say we are moved by fictional characters or events. When we say we feel sad for a character in a book, what we are really saying is that we feel sorry for people in real life who could be in that situation or in a similar situation. Others suggest that it is another form of "pretending" or make-believe (that is, we don't "really" feel sad or frightened, we are just pretending).&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Press Here</i> is interesting in this way, because, although not strictly emotionally, it does move us in a very clear way, to take part and engage in the illusion that we are making things happen in the book, even though we know very well we are not. And this does not only happen the first time we read it. It happens again and again every time we look at it.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about the paradox of fiction</span></i></div><br /><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is&nbsp;<i>Press Here </i>different from other books you have read? In what ways? What makes it different? What do you like about it?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Who makes things happen in the book?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is <i>Press Here </i>like magic?&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Did you laugh while you were reading it? What do you think made you laugh? &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How hard did you blow on the black to get rid of it? How did you feel when you turned the page and saw that a lot of the black was gone?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If you know that it's not you making things happen, why do you do it? What makes you continue doing it?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is </span><i style="color: #38761d;">Press Here</i><span style="color: #38761d;"> a book or a game? Why?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are all books a kind of game?&nbsp;</span></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Causality</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u><br /></u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Press Here</i> plays with the assumption that our actions are "causing" things to happen; that when we press a dot, we make it duplicate, that when we blow, we get rid of the black, that when we clap, we make the dots grow, etc. &nbsp;In doing so, it raises timeless philosophical questions regarding causality.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about causality</span></i></div><ul><li><span style="color: #38761d;">1a. When you press the yellow button on the first page of&nbsp;</span><i style="color: #38761d;">Press Here</i><span style="color: #38761d;">, it turns into two on the second page.&nbsp;By pressing it, do you cause the one yellow button to turn into two?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: #38761d;">1b. When you press a doorbell, it rings. By pressing it, are you causing the doorbell to ring?</span></li><li><span style="color: #38761d;">1c. What is the difference between the two cases above? What is it that makes us say that in 1b there is a cause-effect relationship between pressing the doorbell and it ringing, whereas in 1a there is no cause-effect relationship between pressing the button and it turning into two? &nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: #38761d;">2. How can we know when two things are linked through cause and effect? </span><span style="color: #38761d;">If you pressed a doorbell and you suddenly felt ill, would you</span><span style="color: #38761d;">&nbsp;think it was an effect of having pressed the doorbell? Why?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: #38761d;">3. Does experience of seeing two events occurring one after the other again and again confirm that there is a causal link between them? How many times do you think you have to see two events together to conclude there is a causal link between them?&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="color: #38761d;">4. Can you think of two things that always "go" together but do not have a causal link between them?&nbsp;</span></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>General Comments</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The philosophical questions raised by <i>Press Here</i>&nbsp;are quite abstract and may suit slightly older primary school children. Younger children will still enjoy thinking about some of the questions about the paradox of fiction though. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Remember that the idea here is to use this as a very rough guide for a lively child-led discussion about the book. Let them lead and you follow their flow!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy! And leave a comment telling me how it went if you used any of the above &nbsp;material.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Read more about the idea behind these picture book reviews for philosophical discussion among children <a href="http://storyphilosophy.blogspot.com.es/2011/11/about-story-philosophy.html">here </a>and about some proposed general "discussion rules" for facilitators and participants, here (coming soon).&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of all the images in this post, Hervé Tullet, 2011</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of text, Ellen Duthie. You may copy this or reproduce it, but please be nice and credit the author and site.</div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-45639000466708444772012-03-26T07:08:00.004-07:002012-03-27T05:32:34.383-07:00The Bear Under the Stairs: Fear, reality and reliability of the senses<i>The Bear Under the Stairs</i>, by Helen Cooper<br />Doubleday/Picture Corgi (UK); Dial/Puffin (USA), 1993<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pl7xHYW5Vsg/TyT5cXpBKNI/AAAAAAAABk4/_uygkGLQw2A/s1600/The+Bear+Under+the+Stairs+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pl7xHYW5Vsg/TyT5cXpBKNI/AAAAAAAABk4/_uygkGLQw2A/s320/The+Bear+Under+the+Stairs+Cover.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Story</b></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The text of <i>The Bear Under the Stairs</i>&nbsp;tells a straightforward story of a boy called William who is frightened of a big and hungry bear he believes he has seen behind the door under the stairs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He's so scared of the prospect of the bear getting peckish and deciding to eat boys for tea, that he starts feeding it preventively, from leftovers and other bits and bobs, until his mother notices the stench coming from under the stairs and decides it's time for a clean.</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After desperately trying to stop her, he finally blurts out his story about the bear under the stairs, and his mother suggests they both face up to it and fight it. They approach the door, mop and broom held like lances ready for battle. When they finally open it, they find an old furry rug instead of a bear, and lots of stinky food everywhere. They both clean up and then go and buy William his own grizzly teddy bear to keep him company in bed. And he is never ever scared of bears again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To this straightforward story of a boy facing up to his fear, the illustrations add delightfully interesting complexity by suggesting different planes of reality, with&nbsp;William's imagination, the bear's imagination, and the reader's own imagination counting as much as any reality that might be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although we are told William has never actually seen the bear, we are shown a drawing of the bear by William, because "he knew what it looked like".&nbsp;&nbsp;But we are also shown a picture of William by the bear, drawn "while William dreamed": </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WLdztnZ6jqg/T3A5eK67aPI/AAAAAAAAByM/6aPDNrjhWIs/s1600/SAM_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WLdztnZ6jqg/T3A5eK67aPI/AAAAAAAAByM/6aPDNrjhWIs/s200/SAM_0077.JPG" width="143" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw4U0970si0/T3A5rOVRv7I/AAAAAAAAByU/SanJ1HQnlOg/s1600/SAM_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw4U0970si0/T3A5rOVRv7I/AAAAAAAAByU/SanJ1HQnlOg/s200/SAM_0079.JPG" width="133" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The bear appears in most of the illustrations, either as an onlooker, hiding somewhere, or as an active character itself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmfWt52hQIo/T3A6SlKrQ_I/AAAAAAAAByc/R3iOaZenrnc/s1600/SAM_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmfWt52hQIo/T3A6SlKrQ_I/AAAAAAAAByc/R3iOaZenrnc/s200/SAM_0076.JPG" width="191" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M0-UbRkfTys/T3A6b4G9iNI/AAAAAAAAByk/6gZCAehYXjU/s1600/SAM_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M0-UbRkfTys/T3A6b4G9iNI/AAAAAAAAByk/6gZCAehYXjU/s200/SAM_0080.JPG" width="142" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We are shown the bear arriving at the house at the beginning of the story and packing up his luggage at the end, looking rather miffed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Might there be another story here, about a bear who is terrified of being discovered by a little boy and his mother in his newly found home and of having to move yet again?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Who's imagining what?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The philosophy in the story</b></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Bear Under the Stairs</i>&nbsp;raises philosophical issues regarding the nature of fear, on the one hand, and about the nature of reality and its relationship with imagination, on the other. But it also provides the perfect starting point for fun discussions about whether we can know that we ourselves are "real" and about the reliability of our senses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three thematic blocks of questions to prompt debate among children follow, with a very brief and general, non-specialised and name-free background introduction to each of them for teachers / parents / grandparents / anyone out there interested.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Fear</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the story William is scared of something he thinks he's seen. His fear both moves him to action (he feeds the bear he's afraid of) and paralyses him (he doesn't tell anyone about his fear). This raises interesting questions regarding the nature of fear, the causes of fear, the relationship between fear and imagination, the relationship or lack of relationship between knowledge and fear, and our own attitude in the face of fear.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first set of questions aims to draw on the children's own experience and reflection about their own fear and William's fear to come up with potential definitions of fear and analyse its causes and consequences. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about fear</span></i></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">In the story, William is frightened. Why is he frightened? What is he frightened of, exactly? Does he really have a reason to be frightened?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What things frighten you? Why? What do you think causes fear? What removes it? &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are you more frightened of real things or of ideas?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is fear always a bad thing or can it be useful?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you think William dealt with his fear appropriately? What would you have done in William's situation, if you thought there might be a bear under the stairs?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Have you ever been "secretely" scared of something and not told anyone? What of? Why didn't you tell anyone? &nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">After William finds out what he thought was a bear was in fact an old rug, his fear seems to go away. Does knowledge always remove fear?&nbsp;Is it possible to "know" that there isn't a bear under the stairs or a monster under your bed and still "be frightened" of it? How is that possible?</span><span style="color: #38761d;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Reality</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Bear Under the Stairs </i>touches on issues regarding reality and imagination and, through the illustrations, suggests or plays with the idea that the bear might be more than a figment of William's imagination. It poses several possible scenarios. Perhaps the bear is entirely a figment of William's imagination. Perhaps William's reality and the bear's reality are parallel, co-existing realities. Perhaps William and his mother are figments of the bear's imagination? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The philosophical questions here regard the difference between reality and imagination or reality and dream, leading to the all time classic "how do we know we are not dreaming?". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In turn, this raises general questions about reality, how we know what's real, whether we ourselves are "real", or whether even we ourselves could be a figment of someone else's imagination. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Prompts for philosophical discussion about reality</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What is real and what is imaginary in&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #38761d;">The Bear Under the Stairs</span><span style="color: #38761d;">? Is the bear real? How do you know?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Could everything we see in the story be real? Both the bear's reality and William's reality?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you think the bear "really" draws William? Or do you think the drawing of William by the bear is part of a dream William's having? Why?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What's the difference between reality and imagination? How can we tell when something is real rather than imaginary?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What's the difference between reality and dreaming?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Have you ever been unsure as to whether something really happened or whether you dreamed it? How did you find out which was the case?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How do you know you are not dreaming now? &nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are dreams real?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are you real? How do you know?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Could you be the figment of someone else's imagination? A scared bear's imagination, for example?&nbsp;</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Reliability of the senses</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">William "sees" the bear through the crack of the open door under the stairs. He takes this visual perception as information about the real world, reacts to it (is frightened) and acts upon it (feeds it in order to save his own flesh from the bear's hunger). He takes his visual perception as knowledge. Later, with his mother, he "sees" that what he thought was a bear is in fact an old furry rug and readjusts his information about the real world based on this new visual perception of the rug.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This raises interesting philosophical questions about the reliability of our senses and our perceptual knowledge of the world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Prompts for philosophical discussion about the reliability of the senses</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">William "sees" the bear through the crack of the open door. Later he "sees" the rug.&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #38761d;">How does he know that it's a rug and his senses are not deceiving him? Why is the second time William "sees" more reliable than the first?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">How do you know the table in front of you is real? If it is real because you can see it, is it still real when you close your eyes? What makes it real?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do our eyes provide us with trustworthy information about the real world? Is reality as we see it?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When we stick a straw into a glass of water, our eyes tell us it's bent, but is it? How do we know that our eyes don't show us things differently from the way they really are all the time? What is "the way things really are"? &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Dogs don't see colours the same way we do. Which reality is more "real", dogs' reality or ours?&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #38761d;">&nbsp;</span></li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>General Comments</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Bear Under the Stairs </i>poses a range of philosophical issues of varying depth and abstraction. Younger children may find it easier to engage in a debate on fear than on the reliability of the senses, but not necessarily. Remember to ask the children first what they have found interesting about the story. You'll be surprised how often they come up with many of the philosophical issues themselves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Remember the idea here is not to plod through all the questions in order, but to use them as a guide for a lively and kid-driven discussion. Let them take the lead!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy! And leave a comment telling me how it went if you used any of the above material!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Read more about the idea behind these picture book reviews for philosophical discussion among children <a href="http://storyphilosophy.blogspot.com.es/2011/11/about-story-philosophy.html">here </a>and about some proposed general "discussion rules" for facilitators and participants, here (coming soon).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of all the images in this post, Helen Cooper, 1993</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of text, Ellen Duthie. You may copy this or reproduce it, but please be nice and credit the author and the site.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmOTaIzm6dc/T3DBr9V4EvI/AAAAAAAABz0/cmLqLp07Lqo/s1600/SAM_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wmOTaIzm6dc/T3DBr9V4EvI/AAAAAAAABz0/cmLqLp07Lqo/s400/SAM_0081.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br /></div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-82526434322687256552012-02-20T10:46:00.003-08:002012-03-27T05:35:01.670-07:00"Cookies", from Frog and Toad Together: the paradox of will power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Cookies", from&nbsp;<i>Frog and Toad Together</i>, by Arnold Lobel (1971)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Harper Trophy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i style="text-align: justify;">This text is a reproduction of a <a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/%22Cookies%22_from_Frog_and_Toad_Together">module</a>&nbsp;written by Jayme Johnson for <a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project <b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><i style="text-align: justify;"><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3ri6ELrsGo/T0KTRzYIiiI/AAAAAAAABrY/fVSaQjx79RM/s1600/FrogToadTogether_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3ri6ELrsGo/T0KTRzYIiiI/AAAAAAAABrY/fVSaQjx79RM/s320/FrogToadTogether_Cover.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Story</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">In order to have cookies for later, and to avoid some serious belly aches, Frog and Toad need to stop eating cookies. Will Frog and Toad be able to muster up the&nbsp;</span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">will power</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">&nbsp;they need to stop eating cookies before they become sick?</span></span> </div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;">The Philosophy in the Story</b></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever told a friend to take the last bit of dessert with them? Or even better, have you ever told yourself you had better just polish off that last piece of pie so that its gone and out of the way? Perhaps both were attempts at doing the same thing: undermining your own lack of will power. So which do you want to do, eat the pie, or not eat the pie? The problem is that it seems to us in these moments that we want both! In the story "Cookies" by Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad are met with a similar dilemma. They want to stop eating the cookies before they become ill, but the cookies taste so good that they just can't seem to stop eating them.</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Frog realizes that the problem is that they need will power to stop eating the cookies. He defines will power&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">as "trying hard not to do something that you really want to do." In doing so, Frog raises an interesting philosophical issue. Does having will power just mean trying not to do something, or does it mean actually not doing it? Moreover, does not doing something that you really want to do always require having will power, or just sometimes? These kinds of questions inspire a philosophical discussion on the nature of will power.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</span> </div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k_bzxoakncI/T0JbyafkuCI/AAAAAAAABrQ/fgAzsW8FimA/s400/FrogToadCookies.jpg" width="281" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">"Cookies" explores the topic of will power in an amusing and light-hearted way. But behind this lies an interesting puzzle. The puzzle emerges when we realize that Frog's definition of will power seems to lead to an absurd conclusion. Consider it as follows. First, Frog declares that he wants to cease with eating cookies before he gets sick. Why? Simple, of course: Frog does not want to get sick. However, Frog also says that having will power is trying hard not to do something that you really want to do. Since Frog needs will power to stop eating cookies, and given his definition, it is safe to say that Frog really wants to keep eating cookies. Yet Frog knows that if he keeps eating cookies, that he will definitely get sick...and soon! So if all of this is true, then Frog has contradictory beliefs. He really wants not to get sick. But he also really wants to get sick too. But that's impossible. So here is the real problem: if having will power means having to believe two contradictory things at the same time, then it seems like having will power is impossible! But that just doesn't seem right.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">So what are we to do? What Frog says about will power makes sense, but something must be amiss, for if he is right, then having will power requires us to do the impossible. But that doesn't seem right. Many of us can think of examples in our own lives in which someone had will power over something. So how are we to solve this puzzle?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">One thing we might do is throw up our hands and say, "So it goes. I guess having will power is impossible!" But I don't think that we should give up so easily. Especially given how common cases of people demonstrating will power seem to be.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Another thing we could do is try to show that Frog does not really desire contradictory things. One way to do this might be to compartmentalize Frog's desires so that no one part him is in contradiction. Part of Frog, we might say, wants not to be sick. Another part of Frog want to keep eating cookies, even if it means getting sick. To make sense of this, however, requires making sense of what it means to talk about</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">&nbsp;</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">part of Frog</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">wanting something. Can different aspects of the same person (or Frog!) want different thing? Plato thought so. He talks about parts of the soul in his work "The Republic". Here Plato theorizes that the soul has three parts (1) desire (2) emotion and (3) reason. Plato would say that part of Frog, the desire part, will always want more cookies, or whatever else if fancies. It is the job of the other parts of the soul to make sure that desire does not go unchecked. So the reason part of Frog, Plato might say, realizes that too many more cookies = tummy ache, and the emotion part is supposed to work to keep desire at bay as much as it needs to. From this perspective how much will power someone has is determined by how well that person keeps desire under control. So Frog lacks will power because he lacks strength of either emotion or reason, but has a very strong desire. Plato might tell Frog that if he really understood that any more cookies will make him sick, it would be easy not to eat them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Of course there are other ways to solve the puzzle as well, and any potential solution is sure to bring about lively philosophical discussions.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Questions to Prompt Philosophical Discussion</b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">In the story, Frog and Toad eat so many cookies that they fear they will become sick.</span></i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is there something that you like to eat or drink so much that you can’t stop yourself, even when you fear that you will get sick?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If you know that eating so much of something will make you sick, why do you continue to eat it?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Is wanting to continue to eat or drink something even when you fear you will get sick the same as wanting to get sick?</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>Frog defines will power as “trying hard not to do something that you really want to do.”</i></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If you really want to do something, why would you try not to do it?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Can part of you want to do something, while another part does not?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If part of you wants to do something, and another part doesn't, where are these parts? Are they in our minds?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What kind of parts are they? Are they like fingers and toes? Or more like ideas?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Are any of these parts in charge of the rest of them? Which one?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Does thinking about ourselves as having different parts help us understand the problem that Frog and Toad have with the cookies?</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">At the end of the story Frog says that they have lots and lots of will power because they want to eat more cookies but cannot because they have given them all away.</span></i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Who do you think has more will power, Frog, or Toad? Do you think Frog will visit Toad later and eat cake?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If there are no more cookies left to eat, are Frog and Toad really exercising will power by not eating them?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Does something have to be tempting you in order for you to have will power?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you have will power even when you are not using it?</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #e69138;">This text is a reproduction of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/%22Cookies%22_from_Frog_and_Toad_Together/es">module</a>&nbsp;written by Jayme Johnson and translated by me for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page/es">Teaching Children Philosophy</a>, a project&nbsp;<b>Story Philosophy</b>&nbsp;contributes to through translations and original contributions of picture book based philosophical discussion modules. &nbsp;</i> </div></div><div><i style="color: #e69138; text-align: justify;"><br /></i></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">(c) of all the illustrations in this post, Arnold Lobel, 1971. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">This text is available under&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported</a></span></div></div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-74161835878772962842012-01-10T04:12:00.000-08:002012-01-17T05:18:04.525-08:00The Mixed-up Chameleon: Happiness, Change and Personal Identity<i>The Mixed-up Chameleon</i>, by Eric Carle.<br />Harper Collins, 1988<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EeJtiR3M-ko/TsZfyRSY8NI/AAAAAAAABf4/wiIbExVJ1i0/s1600/The+Mixed-up+Chameleon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EeJtiR3M-ko/TsZfyRSY8NI/AAAAAAAABf4/wiIbExVJ1i0/s1600/The+Mixed-up+Chameleon.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Mixed-Up Chameleon</i> is the story of a chameleon who is pretty much like any other chameleon you might come across. It changes colour every now and then, from green to brown, to red to yellow. It's bright and green when it's warm and its belly is full, and grey and dull when it's cold and hungry. It sits around eating flies, like all other chameleons, and leads a generally unexciting life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But one day it goes to the zoo and is amazed by all those different animals it sees. It looks around and the action starts. It sees a polar bear and wishes it was as big and white as that. Bang! Its wish comes true.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It sees a flamingo and wishes it was as beautiful as that. Bang! Its wish comes true and it grows wings and flamingo legs. It sees a fox and wishes it had a tail like that. Its wish comes true. And it continues wishing until it ends up with fish fins, deer antlers, a giraffe's neck, a tortoise's shell, an elephant's face and trunk and a pair of seal flippers (see picture below).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Suddenly it sees a fly. Our chameleon friend is hungry but how can it possibly get at the fly in its current state?&nbsp;It wishes it was itself again. And bang! Its wish comes true. And it uses its super sticky tongue to eat the fly! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The philosophy in the story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Mixed-up Chameleon</i> touches on at least three different philosophical topics, namely, happiness, change and personal identity, raising fascinating and delightfully puzzling problems. Three thematic blocks of questions to prompt debate among children follow, with a very brief and general, non-specialised and name-free background introduction to each of them for teachers / parents / grandparents / anyone out there interested.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Happiness</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story suggests that getting everything one asks for may not pave the way to happiness. In other words, what we think will make us happy might not do so after all.&nbsp;<i>The Mixed-up Chameleon</i> provides a great opportunity to discuss what happiness is, what makes us happy, and whether it is possible that fulfilment of one's desires might not always lead to satisfaction.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first set of questions aims to bring out an interesting debate on the nature and pursuit of happiness which goes back at least all the way to the Ancient Greece of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle and is still very much part of philosophical debate today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about happiness&nbsp;</span></i></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The chameleon looks at what other animals have and wishes it was like them.&nbsp;Do you sometimes wish you had something other people have? Like what? Do you think it would make you happier to have those things? Why?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The chameleon gets everything it wants. Does it bring it happiness? Why?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Is it possible to get given everything you want and not be happy?&nbsp;Is it possible that what makes us happy at a given time may actually make us more miserable in the long term?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Say three things that make you very happy.&nbsp;What is it to be happy?&nbsp;And what is it to live a happy life? Could a happy life contain moments of unhappiness?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">At the end, the chameleon wishes it was itself again. What do you like about being yourself? Is there anything you don't like about being yourself? Do you think liking things about being yourself gives you happiness?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Have you ever positively not wanted something and, when given it, found out that it made you very happy?</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Do you think happiness is something we can set out to achieve or is it something that falls our way?</span></span></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Change</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All chameleons change, and do so all the time. They change colour mostly as a sort of language code, also for camouflage purposes and &nbsp;in some cases as a means of regulating body temperature. When they change colour, we may find it amazing to watch, but not particularly puzzling to think of. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the chameleon in the story changes differently. Bit by bit, page after page, it changes until there is no part of its original body left, and yet we still consider it to be the same individual throughout the transformation process. This poses some fascinating philosophical questions regarding change and identity over time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Does it indeed remain the chameleon we meet on the first page throughout or is there a point when one might say it is no longer the same chameleon or being? What is that "point" and how do we determine it?&nbsp;Is it still our friend from the first page&nbsp;when it grows bigger and becomes white like the polar bear?&nbsp;When it grows a fox's tail? When it sees the fly, here?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNy0ZWfVVGY/TwwU4eZzFYI/AAAAAAAABi0/t__wKffeokY/s1600/IMG00292-20120110-1123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNy0ZWfVVGY/TwwU4eZzFYI/AAAAAAAABi0/t__wKffeokY/s400/IMG00292-20120110-1123.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is in fact a formulation of a classical philosophical puzzle known as the Ship of Theseus which asks when and whether a ship whose parts are replaced one by one would cease to be the same ship it was originally and become a different one. Another formulation of the same problem that might serve to illustrate this in a rather amusing way for children involves a favourite sock with a hole in it which is darned repeatedly over time until none of the original threads are left: is it still our favourite sock or is it a different one and if different, when might it have become a different one?<br /><br />The puzzle is made all the more boggling if we compare our intuitions about a step-by-step replacement over time with a sudden one-time replacement of parts. In a scenario where the planks of a ship are replaced over time with new planks, most of us would intuitively feel it is still the same ship. However, if we take all those planks and make a ship with them right now, we wouldn't think it was the same ship. Why is that? What is different between the two situations? &nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">&nbsp;</span> <br /><br />And if we are really in the mood, a further fun complication can be added to the problem.&nbsp;What if we had kept all the old planks of the ship and then decide to build a ship with them? Which would be the original ship, the one with the new planks or the one with the old planks?<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about change</span></i></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The chameleon changes a lot throughout the story. Would you say the chameleon is still a chameleon, and still the same chameleon, after becoming big and white like a polar bear?&nbsp;What about after growing flamingo wings and legs?&nbsp;After getting a fox tail?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">By the time it sees the fly, there is not one bit of the original chameleon's body left.&nbsp;Is it still a chameleon? Is it still our friend from the first page?&nbsp;Why? Why not?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">If you gradually change all of something's parts, can it still be the same thing? If we have a sock with a hole in it and darn it and then darn it again when it grows another hole, and again and again, until none of the original threads are left, but only the threads used for darning, is this the same sock we started off with? Why? Why not?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">If we change a ship's planks over the years, until we end up with all new planks, is it still the same ship? Why? If we change all the planks of a ship at once, is it still the same ship? Why? What's the difference between changing them gradually over time and suddenly, now?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What if someone has kept all the old planks of the ship and decides to build a second ship with them? Which is the original ship? &nbsp;</span></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><u>Personal identity</u></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Applied to human beings, the problem of change above is related to problems of personal identity, which are the subject of the last block of questions.&nbsp; </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The same question of identity over time can be applied to a person, adding further complexity to the matter. Are we the same person as we were when we were a baby? We look nothing like when we were babies, we have grown a lot, we have many new cells which have replaced many of our original cells. And yet we all say we are the same person as the chubby little baby in that photo. What does it actually mean to say we are the same person? How can we be so absolutely different and yet one and the same? What makes us that particular baby and not another baby in a different photo?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another question about personal identity raised by the book can be put like this: What makes you you? What do you need to keep to continue being you? Or, as philosophers also put it, what is your essence?&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Prompts for philosophical discussion about personal identity</span></i></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What makes a chameleon a chameleon? What makes a person a person?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If we took away your arm, would you still be yourself? How about both arms? Your body? Part of your brain?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What makes you yourself? What would have to be taken away from you for you to no longer be yourself?&nbsp;</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;">What makes you the same person you were when you were a baby? How can we be so different (much, much bigger, with much more control over our bodies and much more complex thoughts) and yet the same? &nbsp;</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>General Comments</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Mixed-up Chameleon</i>&nbsp;poses philosophical issues of some depth and degree of abstraction. Younger children may find it easier to engage in a debate on happiness than on personal identity. But not necessarily! It's always a good idea to ask&nbsp;the child/ren first if they think there is anything particularly interesting about the story. It's surprising how often children go directly to philosophically meaty issues if left to think about things freely.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Obviously to tackle all the topics above at once, in one sitting or session, may be excessive (and long!). Probably the best thing is to focus on one of the sections and only move on to the following one if there is enough time or if the children bring up related issues themselves. It's always difficult to know how interested a particular group of children is going to be in a particular aspect of a story. Some will want to spend an hour speaking about happiness. Some may have little to say on happiness but lots to say on the sock puzzle. The trick is to go with the flow and not intervene too much, other than to make sure they don't go off on tangents too removed from the topic and to suggest a further question when everyone seems to have said what they want with regard to the previous one. Let them take the lead!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Parents or carers can just keep these questions in mind and talk about different ones at different times.<br /><br />Enjoy! And leave a comment telling me how it went if you used any of the above material!<br /><br />Read more about the idea behind these picture book reviews for philosophical discussion among children <a href="http://storyphilosophy.blogspot.com/2011/11/about-story-philosophy.html">here</a> and about some proposed general "discussion rules" for facilitators and participants, here (coming soon). &nbsp;</div><br />I'd like to thank Prof. Thomas Wartenberg from Mount Holyoke College for his helpful suggestion about including reference to the difference between sudden change and gradual change in the Ship of Theseus section. <br /><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">(c) of all images in this post, Eric Carle, 1988.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">(c) of text, Ellen Duthie. You may copy this or reproduce it, but please be nice and credit the author and the site.&nbsp;</div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4454543136783511190.post-72695816037187394742011-11-17T04:22:00.000-08:002017-01-09T23:34:27.091-08:00About Story Philosophy<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The idea for this blog<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">When I was in my first year at university in the UK, I remember one of my tutors asking us whether we had any previous experience of philosophy. I mentioned I had had two years of philosophy at secondary school, like every other secondary school student in Spain at the time. 'Ah!' –he said-, 'a civilized country!'<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The idea for this blog stems from a deep conviction that philosophical thought and philosophical discussion -in the broadest sense of both these concepts- form (should form?) the very basis of civilization. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">At a time where educational institutions seem to run the other way at the very mention of the word ‘philosophy’ or, if interested, often prefer calling it something else so as not to intimidate, I feel it is particularly relevant to stand up and speak out for the essential role philosophy can play in education from a very early age. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">There are many ‘philosophy for children’ projects out there, some more along my line of thought than others, but all of which do something as magical as basic. They get children to look at the world they live in, to question what they see and what they are told, to question the beliefs of others and their own, to push the boundaries of conformism, to turn things upside down and look underneath them, behind them, inside them. Ultimately, they get children to develop a gaze of their own, a voice of their own, to become their own selves. Can education aspire to anything above and beyond that? And why does it aspire to so much below that? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I would like to clarify that I firmly believe that literature should not be read for a purpose, as a means to an end. I do not believe in literature written to tell lessons or teach values. It’s boring. Very. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I do not suggest picture book reading at schools should become –exclusively- an excuse for philosophical discussion. I think children desperately need to read for the pure sake of enjoyment. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">But I do suggest that taking quality picture books children enjoy reading and encouraging them to talk about specific aspects that catch their attention and intrigue them is a great way of introducing a healthy and very useful philosophical habit. And it can be great fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The age range I have in mind here will vary greatly from child to child, but I’m mostly thinking of 5-10 year-olds. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I expect readers of this blog to include primary school teachers, perhaps some parents, and picture book enthusiasts with a penchant for rigorous thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I also have a blog with reviews and recordings of favourite children’s books, called We Read it Like This (<a href="http://wereaditlikethis.blogspot.com/">wereaditlikethis.blogspot.com</a>). If interested, please stop by and say hi. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">When I was designing this blog and giving it further thought and research, I came across a wonderful project. The Teaching Children Philosophy program website (<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/">www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org</a>) is fantastic and also has many picture book based philosophical discussions. It contains resources for educators, parents and kids and information on their Undergraduate Course taught by Tom E. Wartenberg at Mount Holyoke College. A really interesting and inspiring project.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><br /><span lang="EN-US">Note added January 19th 2012.&nbsp;</span><br /><span lang="EN-US">Since I wrote this original introductory post, I've been in contact with Tom Wartenberg (see mention in previous paragraph) and several interesting things have happened:&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><ol><li>Together with Mariana Zarate, a senior English Teacher Training student in Argentina interested in literary theory, philosophy and interdisciplinarity and currently writing her thesis on teaching children Philosophy through English as a foreign language, I am translating the great material on the <a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/">www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org</a> site for it to be available to Spanish speakers. Check it out.</li><li>I'm adapting and contributing the material from Story Philosophy to the Book Modules on their site.&nbsp;</li><li>I'll be including a selection of their excellent modules on Story Philosophy to share here too.&nbsp;</li></ol><br />Read the first Story Philosophy review! <a href="http://storyphilosophy.blogspot.com/2012/01/mixed-up-chameleon-happiness-change-and.html">The Mixed-up Chameleon, by Eric Carle</a>.&nbsp;</div>E. Duthienoreply@blogger.com0